MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Drivers in Miami-Dade County are once again being warned to stop for school buses as the county relaunches its school bus camera enforcement program after it was suspended last year amid complaints from the public.
Starting Monday, drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus with its stop arm extended could face a $225 fine, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The on-board camera enforcement program originally launched in 2024 as part of an effort to improve student safety. At the time, officials reported that thousands of violations were being captured each week by cameras mounted on school buses throughout the district.
Starting tomorrow (May 18, 2026), live enforcement begins for the Miami-Dade School Bus Safety Program. 🚍🛑
— Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (@MiamiDade_SO) May 17, 2026
Passing a stopped school bus is illegal, dangerous, and puts children at risk. If the bus has its red lights and stop signs flashing… you STOP.
Violators will receive a… pic.twitter.com/HJBtzpxdkF
However, the program was quickly paused after some drivers claimed they were wrongly ticketed, saying they never illegally passed a school bus or believed they were following the law at the time of the citation.
Ahead of the relaunch, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it has implemented additional safeguards, including enhanced deputy training and increased oversight of the video review process.
“We have enhanced our training with our deputies,” said Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz. “Currently, we have several assigned, but several more are pending.”
Officials say deputies will now play a larger role in reviewing camera footage before citations are issued.
Despite criticism surrounding the original rollout, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is continuing its partnership with the same camera company that helped launch the program two years ago. Superintendent Jose Dotres defended the decision, saying changing vendors could delay progress.
“The opportunity to do it well and relaunch it, it’s very important that we use the right consistency,” Dotres said. “Sometimes when you have to restart a process with another entity, it kind of sets us back.”
District leaders emphasized that the goal of the program is to change driver behavior and improve student safety — not generate revenue.
Officials are also reminding drivers that Florida law does not require vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to stop for a school bus if there is a raised median separating traffic.
The enforcement program resumes as students continue relying on school buses across Miami-Dade County, with officials hoping stricter oversight will restore public trust while keeping children safe on their way to and from school.
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